Paradox: The shootings in Newtown, Connecticut have produced an upswing in gun sales!

A basic principle of Newtonian physics is that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The tragedy of the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, evoked national and international outrage. Many people demanded to know how such a thing could have happened. Many people are demanding tougher gun-control laws, or their abolition all together. Oddly enough, Connecticut supposedly has one of the toughest gun-control laws in the United States. All of the weapons used in the slaughter of innocent children and teachers were legally obtained. AND we are talking about an upscale, largely white suburban school district, NOT an urban ghetto school. Those of us who live in urban areas are supposed to be accustomed to violence, and ought to expect it on a regular basis.

However, according to a report last night by Rochester’s D&C, the shootings have sparked an upswing in gun sales here!

How can this be?

Very simply put, people have lost faith in the very governing and policing agencies that were created to protect us. They can’t ( or won’t ) protect us, so we have to protect ourselves. People resort to quoting the second amendment to the Constitution, about the right to carry and bear arms. Yet nowhere in the Constitution does it say anything about requiring gun-owners to know how to use them! Apparently, the right carries no corresponding responsibility.

Legal gun owners frequently state that the weapons used in the commission of crimes were stolen; that’s true enough. The shooter in Newton took those weapons from his own mother!

Too often gun owners like to brag about the number of guns they own, where they keep them and how they conceal them. It is a typical example of our materialistic society. This makes them a target for burglars, who are somehow aware of the weapons available to them in their targets’ homes and vehicles. Sometimes it’s just luck on the part of the burglar. And these “legal” guns can now be used by the thief in the commission of other crimes.

Monroe County’s sheriff’s department offers a free gun safety course, which is NOT required by people wishing to buy guns. I daresay precious few people make use of it.

The situation of available weapons IS serious in Rochester, which has the dubious distinction of being New York State’s “Murder Capital.” Rochester’s chief of police, James Sheppard, has frequently laughed it off, despite the increase in the number of murders during his brief tenure in office. Flashing his famous impish grin, Sheppard’s claims that most of Rochester’s shootings and murders are “gang related” has not proved to be reassuring to the rest of us who live here. Coupled with the high level of child poverty in Rochester ( the seventh highest in the nation ) and our dismal low-quality school system, these factors do not make Rochester a prime area for investment.

Again, people have lost faith in our government. Yet “the people” do not want to make any serious changes to their government, or even their own mindsets, preferring to act on their own instincts.

Instinct is what wild animals rely upon to govern their lives; we humans are supposed to be above that.

The horrific tragedy in Newtown is producing an upswing in gun sales; most of them are probably legal. This means that there will be more guns available for criminals or mentally deranged people to steal. As in Newtown, the thief might even be living where those legally obtained weapons are stored.

It is the availability of such weapons that led to the tragedy, as well as the feeling that our streets are unsafe. People rushing out to buy guns without knowing how to use them, store them or secure them will not eliminate their fears. It will only set the stage for future incidents.

Contributors

Click on a blogger to see just their posts.

Rich Gardner has been writing about the history, culture and waterways of Upstate New York for years. His articles have appeared in U.S. and Canadian publications, and one book, Learning to Walk. He is an alumnus of Brighton High School and SUNY Geneseo. He operates Upstate Resume & Writing Service in Brighton and recently moved to Corn Hill, where he is already involved in community projects. "I enjoy the 'Aha!' moments of learning new things, conceptual and literal. City living is a great teacher."

Ken Warner grew up in Brockport and first experienced Rochester as a messenger boy for a law firm in Midtown Tower. He recently moved downtown into a loft on the 13th floor of the Temple Building with a view of the Liberty Poll and works in the Powers Building overlooking Rochester’s four corners as Executive Director for UNICON, an organization devoted to bringing economic development to the community. He hopes to use his Rochester Blog to share his observations from these unique views of downtown.